Family Guidance Blog

Family and Friends Play Important Role in Addiction Recovery

Addiction is said to be a family disease. Family and friends go on their own personal emotional journey just as loved ones live with addiction. But family and friends also play an important role in helping their loved one get the help they need to move forward in recovery.

While it can be easy to ignore addiction for fear of isolating a loved one, parents, siblings, significant others, and children may be the only people who can ultimately reach affected individuals and aid them in confronting the seriousness of their illness. In fact, many of those who seek help do so because of the urging of family and friends.

At times, it’s beneficial to enlist the help of a licensed counselor to aid in setting up an intervention. Counselors can help direct the process and mediate when emotions run high. Though, each situation is different, and sometimes intervention is left as a last resort only after the affected individual has not responded to private attempts to seek assistance.

There are two main types of treatment offered for addiction – outpatient and inpatient. Outpatient therapy is provided at a local facility where those affected can take classes and still remain at home with their families. Inpatient treatment involves receiving assistance in a facility where the patient is required to reside for the full duration of treatment, which usually lasts about a month. While it can be difficult to be separated from family for such an extended period of time, inpatient treatment may yield the best chance for success as it removes the dependent individual from his or her negative sphere of influence.

To fully take advantage of the benefits that addiction therapy has to offer, family and friends are also encouraged to attend Al Anon and Nar Anon meetings. Having a dependent loved one can be an extremely trying experience. Such meetings can help family members work through their feelings so that they can be of true emotional support without enabling the addiction.

Family Guidance has a variety of inpatient and outpatient services to aid in addiction recovery. Working through addiction is a process, but it is possible for the cycle to be broken. Learn more about Family Guidance’s Addiction Treatment Services by visiting familyguidance.org.